Food for Thought.....

Ok to be honest I was not the most careful or paranoid person when I was pregnant with my kids. I drank sodas with caffeine, ate whatever it was that I wanted and listened to my body if it said I was doing too much. Basically I did what my mom did so I figured I was safe. Right?

Moving to South Florida has really changed my perspective on looking at the foods I eat and how they are grown and my family and I have begun to focus on purchasing things that are more responsible for our bodies, our planet, and our pocket book. It just seemed like the right thing to do for us because of all the junk they spray and taint foods and things we use with today. I came across this article today on Sparks people so I thought I would share.


Q. Does eating organic foods before and during pregnancy reduce medical issues for the baby?


A.Research has yet to prove an adverse health effect from consuming the low levels of pesticides commonly found in U.S. food. But for the most vulnerable groups -- children and pregnant women -- going organic whenever possible for fruits and vegetables that carry the heaviest pesticide load makes sense. For organic meat, poultry, eggs, and milk, the direct health benefit is less clear.

Pesticide contaminants pose the biggest risk to children and fetuses. Pesticides have been shown to cross the placenta during pregnancy, and a study by scientists at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health in New York found a link between pesticide use in New York apartments and impaired fetal growth. Another study, from the University of Washington in Seattle, found that preschoolers fed conventional diets had six times the level of certain pesticides in their urine as those who ate organic foods. A 2003 report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention detected twice the level of some pesticides in the urine of children as in that of adults.

Few doubt that high doses of pesticides can cause neurological or reproductive damage. With infant reproductive organs still forming and the brain developing through age 12, and with young livers and immune systems less able to rid bodies of contaminants, eating organic is more important for children and pregnant or breast-feeding women.

Just some food for thought on the matter. I would say 97% of our produce is organic or grown out of out little garden in our backyard. When we first started buying organic I panicked at the cost. But then we found organic co-ops and buying clubs. I have been involved in two since being down here and they are great! It's a wonderful way to meet similar minded people and get organic foods at lower costs than in the grocery store.

Like I said I have been involved in 2 organic co-ops since moving down here the first one being K-N-D Organics co-op http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K-N-DOrganicCo-op/ which is founded by a friend and a really sweet deal.

The othe that I have been involved with is Annie's Buying Club http://anniesbuyingclub.com/ this one is a bit bigger of a group but just as yummy food.

So if you are n South Florida check these out for yourselves and your families. And if you are not check yahoo for local organics groups or just google your area to see what comes up! Because who cares if your kids eat their veggies if they are coated in poison!!

Ok that may be a bit harsh, but you get the idea! Remember the old saying, "You are what you eat!" It doesn't just apply to pizza and icecream anymore!!!